I would totally salt your game.

I've enjoyed that phrase ever since I first heard it on The OC. Today, I actually had an opportunity to use it. This made me happy. I'm a simple girl, I am.

Crappity Crap CRAP!

Well, my Nikon D40x is not what I thought it would be. I was oh-so-excited to get it. Today, instead of working like I need to be, I was trying to figure out why it wasn't auto focusing. I have an AF Nikkor lens, which fits my 35mm SLR and works just fine. I can manual focus, no big deal. But the AF aspect wasn't working. I read the manual.

I. read. the. manual.

Yes, I thought it needed it's own paragraph. And to be repeated. I *never* read the manual. But, I also didn't want to call Nikon if this was something that was in the troubleshooting section. I tried everything I could. Then I called. First of all, they answered right away. Hooray to Nikon for that. Their customer service was wonderful.

Here's the deal: The D40 and D40x do not have an AF option in camera. You have to purchase a separate lens. Seeing as the reason I went with a Nikon digital SLR in the first place is because I already have two lenses (a 28-80 and 70-300), which is half the cost of a camera purchase, anyway. I was originally looking at the D80, but I didn't want to spend that much. However, this is the last camera purchase I intend to make for the rest of my life. I may as well spend the big bucks. Besides, this will me my Christmas and birthday present to myself. And Valentine's Day. And Easter and Earth Day and Flag Day and...

Ugh. So right now, my credit card has the full charge of the D40x and the D80. Not a big deal, since I'll eventually be getting a refund of $580 and January is a 3 paycheck month. It's just that the D80 is $200 more than I was planning on spending. And for a tightwad like me, that's painful. Until I get the D80, I'm going to hold onto the D40x. I still want to shoot Chris tomorrow night. And it'll be nice to have for NYE and the parade in Pasadena the next day.

Still, I'm disappointed.

My camera came! My camera came! My camera came!!!

Now to take an exorbitant amount of pictures! Chris Trew performs at with Cog tomorrow night. That will be a good place to start! Hooray!!!

Crap, I got my wish.

I wished that the systems would be down because I didn't feel like working this morning. But I'm going to see Chris Trew perform tonight, so I need to get my claims in (also: I leave for San Diego in the morning and will be gone for a couple of days, which = no work). I bummed around as long as possible, then I turned on my computer. Wouldn't you know it? The system is down for maintenance. I *could* wrap my presents and clean my room and vacuum the downstairs and transcribe my improv notes and go to the gym. Instead, I will probably get a pizza and watch a movie.

I am a giant blob of uselessness.

It Sounded Like A Good Idea At The Time

Last night was the iO West Holiday Party. I have been looking forward to it all week. I even painted my toes and fingers in anticipation of the hot peep-toed shoes I was going to wear. But then last night turned into a cold, rainy mess, and Faith and I decided to stay home. So we invited some friends over to eat chocolate chip cookies that we were baking and drink.

I think the last person left after 3am. Faith and I stayed up talking for at least another hour. This morning my decisions of last night are haunting me. Well, mainly my belly, which feels like it has a small camp fire in it. I probably had 4 or five cookies, which isn't a whole lot. However, that was also my dinner. That and two large glasses of rum and coke. The sugar from my healthy dinner is still pumping through my veins. Hoo boy. I need to work.

Ways to alter this in the future:
1. Drink Diet Coke.
2. Eat an actual dinner. Perhaps one including lasagna.
3. I can't think of a 3. The excess sugar in my bloodstream is making me dizzy. But I'm sure there is a 3 out there somewhere.

I got my first paycheck from an acting job yesterday. My headshots arrive Monday. I've been hitting the gym regularly and can notice some changes. Physical therapy (for my knees) started Thursday. I feel like things are coming together.

It's a good feeling.

D'ya ever see the preview for a movie, and then watch the movie, and the preview is a big, fat, liar?

See: Georgia Rule

I hung out with Stefanie yesterday, which was muchos fun. We decided to rent a movie, and the guilty pleasure was Georgia Rule. Yes, the movie where LiLo gets bitch slapped by the studio for being a big spoiled brat. Holy crap, this movie is not a funny coming-of-age story. Nor is it about the hilarious ways mothers and daughters relate. Nope. It's about how Lindsay's character is molested by her stepfather and it's hard for Felicity Huffman's character to believe her b/c she's such a raging alcoholic. The f-bomb is dropped pretty much in the first scene of the movie, which totally threw us off. At this point, we didn't know what exactly to expect. Then some really uncomfortable scenes take place, and then you find out about the molesting. Done by Cary Elwes. It is super hard to picture Westley as a bad guy. But he is.

We basically sat through the whole movie with our jaws dropped and sometimes squirming at the uncomfortable-ness of the scenes. It was way different than how it was marketed. And, actually, much better than I thought it would be. It's not exactly the usual feel-good movies Gary Marshall does. Too bad it wasn't marketed for what it really is. I would have probably watched it much sooner.

Alarm went off at 5:30. I was so solidly asleep I figured it was a text or call that I sometimes get in the middle of the night. Nope, not so lucky. Stayed in bed for another 45 minutes, willing myself to get up. Need to get 3.5 hours of work in before lunch with Chris and shopping with Stefanie. Oh, what's that? The system is down? Figures.

I may or may not have an audition tomorrow--if the guy ever calls me back--so that will cut into my work day. I film all day Tuesday, so I can't work then. I'm not worried about hitting 20 hours or 160 claims. But I wanted to hit more like 35 hours and 250 claims.

Everyone owes me money and no one is paying.

Well, at least I'm up this early and can clean like I need to. Sometimes I annoy myself with always finding the silver lining.

Had dreams about filing and alphabetizing. It's because I spent much of yesterday organizing my finances and making a budget and also helping someone else out with theirs.